The Risen Lord Appears To Mary Magdalene

Uplook – April 2014 — Grace & Truth Magazine

The Risen Lord Appears To Mary Magdalene

Mary stooped down to look into the open grave of the Lord whom she loved and saw two angels in white, sitting at the head and at the feet of the place His body had been (Jn. 20:11-12). But she was unimpressed by so marvelous a sight for she was preoccupied with the unspeakable sorrow of having lost her Lord. To their question, “Woman, why are you weeping?” she replied, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him” (v.13 NKJV ).

As in her sadness Mary turned away from the angels, her sorrow and the devotedness of heart had brought the Lord near, though she did not know Him. She was not prepared to know her Lord in resurrection and in her grief she turned away even from Him! But one word from His lips changed everything, “Mary.” He calls His own sheep by name, and they know His voice. Turning again, she said, “Rabboni,” or “my great Teacher.” The wonder of the miracle of His resurrection did not even occur to her – all she thought of was Him whom she loved, now there before her eyes.

He told her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father.” His death set the earthly relationship aside, but He announced to her a new relationship with those whom He called “My brethren.” He was to ascend to “My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God” (v.17), for in resurrection He is the Head of a new creation in which God is now Father to all who know His blessed Son. It is a spiritual and heavenly relationship, yet He did not say, “our Father,” for His unique Sonship must always have first place, and a place set apart from all others. The term “My Father” involves the fact of the deity of the Lord Jesus while “My God” involves His manhood. “Your Father” implies that believers are partakers of the divine nature by new birth. “Your God” involves our identification with Christ as His brethren in manhood.

The Lord was telling Mary that while she was no longer to have Him on earth, she would have Him in heaven in the Father’s own presence – all her hopes and blessings now centered there together with all the brethren of the Lord. Obediently she bore this wonderful message to His own (v.18).

By Leslie M. Grant (Adapted)